When I'm Weak, You're Strong
by piratewench78
Summary: Rayna Jaymes has had a very bad day. An AU story of survival.


_**A/N: I was asked if I would write an alternate ending to the last episode. So that's what this is. For all our broken hearts. I hope you enjoy it.**_

 **Day 1**

Rayna chewed on the bite of cheeseburger that Deacon gave her and closed her eyes. She thought about the texture of it and the taste of it. It was exactly the way she liked it – medium with thick Tillamook cheddar – and it felt so good in her mouth. She swallowed and opened her eyes. Deacon was looking down at her with a bemused look on her face. "Oh, babe, that was just perfect," she said. She hated how her voice was sounding, all thick and slow with the painkillers, but she was also grateful not to feel the pain she'd felt when she was first brought in.

He grinned at her. "You want some more? Or maybe you should have some of this smoothie instead. I don't want your doctor getting on me now," he said.

She laughed softly, mindful of the pain if she laughed too hard. "More, please, honey," she said. "Keep feeding me until I tell you to stop."

He tore off another small bite and held it out to her. She opened her mouth and he gently placed it on her tongue. As she chewed, he breathed in. "It sure is good to see you like this," he said, his voice a little gravely from emotion. It had been a scary night, but now, with the light of day, things seemed more hopeful.

She swallowed and then smiled. "It's sure good to be here," she said. She wrinkled her brow a little. "Did they tell you how long I'd be here?"

"Couple a days," he said, tearing off another bite and feeding it to her. "Then you can come home."

"I'm ready for that," she said, around the food in her mouth.

He looked at her sternly but with a smile. "No talking with your mouth full," he admonished.

She smiled at him, her eyes gazing at him lovingly. "So, I really like this feeding me stuff," she said. "Will you feed me when we get home?"

He laughed. "I'll do whatever you need, baby," he said, and then his eyes got misty. "Just so long as you're home, I'll do anything you want."

She reached over and ran her hand over his. "You're so good to me, Deacon," she said.

He raised up and leaned over to kiss her, then sat back down. "It's my turn to take care of you, Ray," he said, his voice filled with emotion. "All those times you took care of me? It's my turn now."

She shook her head and rolled her eyes. "It's not a tit for tat game, love, you know that," she said. "We just do for each other what we need, when we need it. And always with love." She smiled. "When I'm weak, you're strong, remember?"

He smiled and squeezed her hand gently. "Oh, I remember," he said, with a wink. Then he looked more serious. "You're looking a little tired. Do you wanna take a nap?"

She shook her head and smiled. "I want to talk to you and look at you, you beautiful man," she said. "And I want you to play me our song all the way through."

He stood up and went to retrieve his guitar. When he sat back down, he let his fingers run over the strings a few times, then flattened his hand over them. "I want you to listen and think about who sings what," he said. "I got some ideas, but you was always better at that than me."

She smiled at him indulgently. "I think I already know, but go ahead and sing it for me all the way through," she said.

He started the melody and then sang the words they'd written together.

 _Sometimes it feels like, I'm gonna break / Sometimes this world, gives more than I can take / Sometimes, sunshine gets lost in the rain / And it keeps pouring down / It just keeps coming down_

 _This life would kill me If I didn't have you / I couldn't live without you baby / I wouldn't want to  
If you didn't love me so much / I'd never make it through / 'Cause this life would kill me / This life would kill me if I didn't have you_

 _You are my heart, every breath I breathe / I'm safe in your arms, you rescue me / When I'm weak, you're strong / If you were gone I don't know where I'd be / You were made for me / This life would kill me If I didn't have you_

 _I couldn't live without you baby / I wouldn't want to / If you didn't love me so much / I'd never make it through / 'Cause this life would kill me / This life would kill me if I didn't have you / If you didn't love me so much / This life would kill me If I didn't have you_

 _Couldn't live without you baby / I wouldn't want to / If you didn't love me so much / I'd never make it through / 'Cause this life would kill me / This life would kill me if I didn't have you_

When he finished, he looked up at her. She smiled at him. "Oh, Deacon, I think that turned out so great," she said. She screwed up her face. "Maybe I sing the first verse, but then we harmonize on the rest. I mean, it is _our_ life, babe. Right?"

He nodded. "Yes, it is. And I think that's the perfect choice."

"Is Maddie here?"

He frowned a little and shook his head. "Nah. I think the whole hospital thing kinda got to her, according to Scarlett."

"Well, I'd really like to see her. Can you find her and ask her to come by? I know when she was here last night, it was kind of crazy and scary, but I'd like to see her."

He stood up and put his guitar aside, pulling his phone from his pocket. "I'll track her down," he said.

"Thanks, sweetie," she said, as he turned and walked out into the hallway.

 **Day 2**

She kept having dreams that were all jumbled up. There was Wayne with a knife and then he was in a big truck that chased her down, knocking her head over heels. But then she was rolling over and over inside the truck, and then Wayne was holding her with the knife to her neck. The truck was making a beeping noise as it backed up towards her. She was trying to escape but she couldn't move, couldn't make her legs move or even get up from wherever it was she was.

"Mom! Mom!"

She opened her eyes with a gasp. Maddie was standing over her, her eyes wild with fear. The room was dark, but there were lights around the perimeter and a beeping noise in the background. She looked around, still jittery from the images in her dream and feeling stiff, like she couldn't move. "Maddie," she croaked out. "Where am I?"

Maddie put her hand on Rayna's arm and leaned closer. "You're in the hospital, Mom," she said. "Do you remember coming in?"

Rayna's mind was racing and she breathed in and out, trying to settle down the jarring images. She closed her eyes for a second, then opened them to look back at her daughter, who still looked scared. She grabbed Maddie's hand and then forced herself to think back. Finally she nodded. "I do," she said. "I do now." She looked up at Maddie and smiled. "I'm so glad you're here."

Maddie moved so she could sit on the edge of the hospital bed. "I'm sorry about leaving, but it was just all so, you know, upsetting. It was so scary." She looked like she was on the verge of tears.

Rayna took her hand and rubbed it gently. "I know it must have been," she said soothingly. "Especially since you saw me here not so terribly long ago."

Maddie nodded and then frowned. "You sounded like you were having a bad dream," she said. "You were saying, 'don't do that, Wayne' and 'just say it, just say it'. What did you mean?"

Rayna swallowed. "I, I don't know, sweetie," she said, shaking her head. "I guess it's just all of the things that happened kind of get mixed up in my head."

Maddie looked concerned. "Do you want me to call Dad?"

Deacon had taken a very reluctant Daphne home so they could sleep in their own beds that night. Daphne had been at the hospital the whole day and Rayna had insisted that she go home. She shook her head. "No, it's okay. I don't want to worry him anyway." She smiled at Maddie. "It was just a bad dream. I'm fine."

"Are you sure? Do you want me to call a nurse or something?"

Rayna rolled her eyes. "Seriously? They're in here every few hours anyway, so I hate to make them come in when it's not really necessary. I'll be fine, I promise." She patted Maddie's hand. "Really. I'm fine."

Maddie stood up. "Okay, but let me know if you need something." She looked reluctant to leave her mother's side.

Rayna nodded. "I will." She watched Maddie go back to the sleeping chair and settle in. Then she turned her eyes to the ceiling and felt tears gathering in her eyes. She'd told Deacon that what she'd gone through had been the scariest thing she'd ever experienced. She knew he felt bad about that because he'd been the cause of some of the other scary things. But having him close to her this time seemed to make it better.

When she thought back on the events of the night before, she shivered a little. Wayne's appearance at her office had been terrifying, especially the presence of the knife. She had tried everything she could think of to talk herself out of the situation and, as stomach churning as the last few minutes were, she had been glad to get out of it unscathed. All she had wanted to do, at that point, was get home to Deacon. She wanted him to wrap his arms around her and just hold her until she stopped shaking.

She had never been so scared in her life. Not even when she thought Deacon was dead that one night when she'd found him in a bar so wasted that she couldn't wake him up. Not even when she and Deacon were rolling over and over in his truck that night after he'd found out about Maddie. And not even when he had cancer. She kept waiting for the knife to tear into her flesh. She was terrified she wouldn't ever see her family again and that it would be at the hands of someone she couldn't defend herself against.

Even the moment that truck had hit the side of the police car she was in hadn't been as terrifying. It was scary, of course. For a moment, she didn't really know what had happened, but then she'd heard herself crying out for help and she heard Deacon's voice on her phone, which had flown God only knew where, shouting out her name. What she remembered the most about the accident was the pain, the searing, unrelenting pain, in her abdomen, her leg, her whole body almost. She never lost consciousness, so she'd heard the EMT's yelling instructions as they got her onto a stretcher and into an ambulance. She'd smelled the metallic smell of medical supplies in the ambulance as it raced to the hospital, screaming its sirens the whole way.

She remembered the nurse or doctor who'd said, "Oh my God. That's Rayna Jaymes." But the moment she'd seen Deacon walk into the trauma room she was in, she had known it would be okay. She could feel the tears sliding down the side of her face and into her hair and ears. She smiled to herself and then reached up to try to wipe them away. Then she felt herself starting to shake and she couldn't stop.

"Maddie," she called out, but her voice sounded weak and soft to her. "Maddie," she tried calling out a little louder. She heard the rustling and then Maddie was standing next to her, her face pale and frightened.

"What's wrong, Mom?" Maddie said, a panicked note to her voice. "Do you want me to call someone?"

She shook her head and patted the bed beside her. "Can you lay here with me?" she asked.

Maddie smiled. "Yes." And she gently climbed into the bed and fitted herself next to her mother, laying one arm gently across her and her head on her mother's shoulder.

Rayna turned her head slightly towards Maddie's. "I was scared," she whispered. "I was so scared." She could feel Maddie's fingers stroke her arm.

"I'm here, Mom," Maddie murmured. "You're okay."

 **Day 4**

The nurse helped her sit up on the side of the bed. "How does that feel, Ms. Jaymes?" she asked.

Rayna looked at her. "Like I've been smashed into a million different pieces," she said, with a wry smile. She looked at the walker that was in front of her. "I really have to take that home with me?"

The nurse smiled. "If you want to get around on your own, you do," she said.

Rayna made a face. "Lord, that's gonna make me feel like I'm a hundred years old." She looked over at the nurse and winked. "Not like I don't feel that way physically right now."

"Well, let's get you dressed and then we'll actually have a wheelchair to take you out." She went and got an outfit out of the closet. "Your husband brought these." She showed Rayna a pair of yoga pants and a t-shirt.

Rayna laughed. "That looks like something he'd pick out. But I guess it's easy, right?"

The nurse smiled. "Yes, ma'am. Now let's get you into these so we can let him in."

* * *

The nurse helped Rayna slowly slide off the bed and lowered her into the wheelchair. She gave Rayna several sheets of paper. "You have a prescription for painkillers, but try only to use it when the pain is really bad. You should use the walker" – she nodded towards the folded up walker – "every day as much as you can, to start working your muscles and that will also help ease some of the pain and discomfort. Next week you'll start physical therapy at home and you'll also have occupational therapy starting tomorrow to help you with day-to-day things like getting dressed, going to the bathroom, and bathing." She smiled. "Let your husband wait on you a little bit, but make sure you move around as much as you feel comfortable doing."

Rayna smiled up at her. "I will. I have a feeling I'm not going to be a really good patient, though."

As the nurse turned the wheelchair around, she saw Deacon standing in the doorway. He smiled. "I think that's an understatement," he said.

Rayna made a face. "Get my walker, honey," she said, watching him as he walked across the room to get the walker. "We're going to have races with that thing."

He smirked. "Maybe slow races at first." He reached for her hand, rubbing the back of it with his thumb. She looked up at him and saw the mistiness in his eyes.

She lifted his hand to her cheek. "It's gonna be okay, babe," she whispered. "Let's go home."

 **Day 15**

The physical therapist had just left. Maddie was at her job. Daphne was at school. Deacon was all the way up in the music room. Rayna had never felt more frustrated and incapable in her life. She knew physical therapy would be hard – and it was – but she didn't feel any further along in her recovery than she had the first day. She still was relying too much on the wheelchair and not enough on the walker, she knew that. The physical therapist had chastised her for that before he left and she had argued with him about knowing her own body and its limitations better than he did.

But now that she was sitting by herself, with no one close enough in proximity to see or hear her, she admitted to herself that she was scared. She was scared she'd never stop feeling pain. She was scared she would never fully heal. She was scared to go back to work. She was scared to leave her house.

Then she put her face in her hands and she cried, deep sobs that seemed to come from some dark place inside her. After a few minutes, she decided she couldn't keep feeling sorry for herself and so she willed herself to breathe, closing her eyes and focusing so intently on that that she didn't hear Deacon's footsteps.

"Baby, you okay?" came his worried voice in her ear and she opened her eyes and looked at him, kneeling next to her, his face filled with concern.

She touched the back of her hand to his cheek. "You know," she said. "I guess I'm just impatient."

He smiled then. "I never knew that about you," he said, teasingly. Then he got serious again. "But you sounded, I don't know, like you felt so much despair. Can I do anything?"

She looked into his beautiful face and thanked God in her heart for giving him to her. "I want to sit with you," she said.

"Okay." He stood up and walked behind her, taking the handles of her wheelchair. "Where do you want me to put you?"

She shook her head. "No. I want to sit with you. Not next to your chair or in front of you. I want to sit _next_ to you." He walked around and then leaned down and put one arm under her knees and the other around her waist and lifted her up. "Oh, babe, I didn't mean this," she exclaimed, but she still put her arms around his neck and leaned on his shoulder.

He walked over to the couch and very gently set her down, then slid onto the couch next to her, putting his arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him. "This what you wanted?" he asked, as he threaded his fingers in her hair.

"This is exactly what I wanted," she murmured.

After a few moments of silence, he said, "I'm worried about you, Rayna. I feel like you're holding everything inside, trying to be strong, but at night you sound distressed. In your sleep."

She looked up at him. "I'm sorry if I'm keeping you awake," she said. "I don't mean to. But it's still hard to get comfortable, you know?"

He shook his head. "I don't think it's just that." He kissed her on the forehead. "Don't keep it inside too long, okay?"

She frowned just a little. "I'm fine, Deacon," she said. "I survived everything, as scary as it was, and I'm fine. But, you know, everything hurts. My hip, my leg, my torso, all of that hurts. I'm just ready for it to hurt less."

He let his fingers graze her neck and he kissed her forehead again. "Me too, baby. Me too," he said softly.

 **Day 24**

Rayna made her way slowly from the kitchen to the den, but she was feeling more confident with the walker every day. The pain was gradually lessening. She was only taking a pain pill at night, to help her sleep. When she got to the loveseat, she first reached into the little pouch Daphne had hung on the front so that she could carry things with her. Rayna pulled out the banana and the travel mug with coffee and set them on the side table. Then she backed up to the loveseat and sat, pushing the walker to the side. She realized her book was on the coffee table and she slid forward to get it, but winced a little as she moved.

"Mom, I'll get it!" Daphne cried out and rushed over. Her hand touched the book at the same time as Rayna's, so Rayna pulled her hand away and let Daphne pick up the book.

"Thank you, sweetie," she said, with a smile. She pressed her fists into the couch as she slowly slid back and got comfortable. Daphne sat down beside her and handed her the book, which Rayna put on her lap. "What are you doing here, sweet girl? Shouldn't you be in school?"

Daphne shrugged. "Deacon said I could stay home."

Rayna raised her eyebrows. "He did, did he?"

Daphne nodded. "He had somewhere to go so he said I could stay here."

Rayna laughed softly. "My two caretakers, huh?" She knew Deacon had gone to the studio to listen to the recordings from the day before. She put her arm around Daphne, pulling her in and hugging her. "Well, I appreciate it, sweet girl, but I am able to get around okay now on my own. I don't need someone here all the time. And you've missed too much school already."

Daphne shrugged. "They understand."

Rayna hugged her closer. "Listen, baby, I know you were scared. But you don't have to be anymore."

Daphne scowled. "But you're still not a hundred percent, Mom. I still worry."

"You don't have to worry…."

"But I do!" Daphne seemed very intense. "This is the second time we almost lost you, Mom." Rayna could see tears around the rim of her eyes.

"But you didn't," Rayna said. "I'm still here."

"I was so scared though." She looked at her mother sadly. "I don't know what I'd ever do without you."

Rayna put her arms around her daughter and held her close. "You don't have to think about that for a very long time, darlin'," she said. "And it probably won't be too long before you'll wish I wasn't around as much."

Daphne shook her head and frowned. "That won't ever happen," she said firmly. "I know Maddie acts like she can do without parents, but I'm not her." She sighed. "I know you were my age when your mom died."

Rayna swallowed over a sudden lump. "That's true," she said. She held Daphne's hand and stroked it with her thumb. "And it was really hard for me. But that didn't happen to you. And I think we need to focus on that, don't you?" She hugged Daphne close to her again, feeling grateful for all she had.

 **Day 40**

Rayna came out of her dressing room with her walker. Deacon was sitting on the bench at the end of the bed putting on his boots. "Okay, I'm ready, babe," she said.

He looked up and over at her and smiled appreciatively. "Did it all yourself, huh?" he said.

She smiled back. "I did. Only felt a little tweak in my hip when I was pulling on these pants, but I think that's normal." She sighed as she looked down at her feet. "I will be glad when I can wear heels again, though." She walked over to the bench and sat down next to him. "I'm nervous, a little."

He sat back. "I don't blame you. But I'll be there. Everyone will be there. It won't be like before."

She nodded. "I know. But it's been, what, six weeks since I've been back there? But I need to go. I can't really run my label from home forever."

"Baby, you can do whatever you want. It's _your_ label."

She shrugged. "Yeah, I know, but I think it's important for me to go back." She smiled at him. "Thanks for taking me."

He put his hands on his knees. "Ready?"

She nodded and then took a deep breath. "Yeah, I'm ready."

* * *

As they drove over to Highway 65, Rayna thought about how far she'd come. Her doctor had told her that she could transition to a cane any time she was ready, but she'd found herself needing the steadiness of the walker. It made her smile now, remembering how much she'd felt like an old lady with it at first. But it gave her confidence, that she could move more freely, that she wouldn't fall.

As they got closer, she started to feel anxious. She hadn't been back to Highway 65 since the night Wayne had assaulted her and held her hostage. In the more immediate aftermath of the crash, when she was concentrating on rehabilitating her injuries, she'd pushed that experience deep down inside. But she was more mobile now. She and Deacon had done several studio recording dates, continuing to push forward on their concept album. They had even gone to the cabin the previous weekend and she had enjoyed the time there, relaxing in the sun.

This was different though. She had loved the space they had created there, the physical manifestation of her dream. It had been a haven for creativity and always buzzing with energy. She had felt energized there, excited and challenged. But that night she'd stood behind her desk, desperately trying to find the right words to get through to Wayne, had terrified her in a way she'd never felt before.

Deacon pulled up in front of the building and she waited while he came around to open the door for her. She looked up at the sign over the front door, something that usually gave her a thrill, but today she felt a chill. She started to feel like she couldn't breathe. Deacon got the walker out of the back and then opened her door. He reached for her hand and helped her out.

She stood, with her hands gripping the walker. Her feet wouldn't move and she felt her heart start to speed up. She saw Bucky walk out, a huge smile on his face, but it felt like she was in a fun house. Everything started to get wavy and out of proportion, the traffic noise around her felt muted. Her heart was racing and she couldn't breathe.

She could feel Deacon's hand on her arm, could see, out of the corner of her eye, the look of concern on his face. She couldn't move. "Ray? Ray?" His voice sounded like it was underwater.

She felt herself slowly shake her head. "I can't," she whispered. Bucky came closer, looking concerned as well, and she wanted to scream. "I can't," she whispered again. "Please."

* * *

Deacon helped her back into the truck and then took her home. She sat back against the seat with her eyes closed, tears rolling down her face. The only thing she was really conscious of was Deacon holding tight to her hand.

 **Day 51**

It was a beautiful day. The sun was out and it was warm, but not hot. There was a gentle breeze in the air. Rayna was sitting outside on the patio with her coffee. Deacon came out to join her and she turned to him and smiled. "Babe, let's go to Percy today," she said.

He looked at her with surprise. "You sure?"

"I need to. I need to do more walking around. That's what Dr. Reynolds said. You heard her. Especially on uneven surfaces."

"Okay. If you're sure."

She frowned at him. "Why do you keep acting like I don't know what I'm doing?"

"I don't do that, Ray."

"You do. You question everything I want to do. 'Are you sure?' 'You really want to?' I'm not a damn invalid anymore, Deacon. In fact, I haven't been one since I got out of the hospital."

He raised his eyebrows at her. "I ain't saying you're a invalid, Ray. But, you know, sometimes you get ahead of yourself. Just you being Rayna Jaymes, who ain't gonna let nothing get in her way."

"You aren't the one who broke your pelvis and had to recover from that, Deacon. I don't think you can know what it's like to have that kind of pain and go through all that trauma until you've done it."

He scowled at her. "No, you're right, Rayna. I ain't never gone through any kind of trauma before. I ain't never had so much pain I couldn't breathe or pull myself up or even just cough without feeling like I was gonna bust something open."

She took a deep breath. She was being childish, she knew. She was still staying close to home. She hadn't been back to Highway 65 since the ill-fated attempt almost two weeks earlier. She still used the walker some when she had been told she could just use the cane. She still felt a high level of anxiety every time she got into a vehicle. "I'm sorry, my love," she said, feeling chastened. He'd actually gone through as much as she had, maybe more. He'd been right there by her side ever since that night when he'd come to the hospital. He'd been her rock. She reached for his hand. "Yes, I'm sure I want to go. With you to help me."

He lifted her hand to his lips for a kiss. "Let's go, then," he said.

* * *

Rayna had forgotten how uneven the landscape was. Or maybe it was just more noticeable when you were trying to stay balanced and watch where you were putting the bottom of the cane. Put it on a rock and you could fall over. So, while she was moving around well at home, she was a little less certain here. Even getting to the first level brick wall seemed like it was miles away. She stopped.

"You okay?" Deacon asked, holding onto her elbow.

She nodded and smiled. "It seems so far," she said. "But let's keep going."

She finally found a comfortable rhythm as they walked. She noticed people turning to look at her and she was sure they recognized her. A part of her felt embarrassed, but she tried to block that out. She had survived the worst life could throw at her, with Wayne. She had survived a car accident for the second time. She was proud of that ability to handle what life dealt her. They got to the first set of steps and she stopped. It looked so steep, even though she knew it really wasn't.

"You wanna stop?" Deacon asked.

She thought about that for a minute. Then she shook her head. "I don't think so. But it looks so uneven."

He smirked. "I could pick you up and carry you."

She smiled and laughed. "Don't you dare, Deacon Claybourne," she said.

"I'll hold on to you," he said. She nodded and then started forward.

When she wobbled, he steadied her. When she had to stop, he stopped with her. He said words of encouragement as she kept moving. They finally reached the top step and then sat on the rock wall. He took her cane and leaned it against the wall. He put his arm around her waist to steady her and she tucked herself into his side, grateful for the support.

"Ms. Jaymes?" She turned to see a man and a woman about her age, standing on the step below. She felt a niggle of apprehension but forced herself to smile. "We're big fans of yours and we just wanted to say how glad we are that you're okay," the man said.

She felt Deacon tense but she realized this wasn't the same as Wayne Hockney. "Thank you," she said.

"Could we, could we get an autograph?" the woman asked.

She nodded. "Sure." The woman dug in her purse and pulled out a piece of paper and a pen. "What are your names?"

"Susan," the woman said. "And Barry," she added, nodding towards the man. "We're from Indianapolis and we've seen you probably a dozen times."

She took the paper and pencil and signed it, then handed it back with a smile. "Thank you so much. Hope y'all have fun in Nashville." They walked away and she rubbed her hand on Deacon's leg, then looked up at him. "I guess everyone isn't bad. I need to remember that."

 **Day 55**

The dream was worse this time. She didn't have it every night and she usually passed it off as just pain, so as not to worry Deacon. But this time it had felt real. She could feel the knife against her throat. She felt the impact of the pickup truck that hit the police car. She felt her bones cracking. The fear started to choke her. She was lying on the stretcher, her arms and legs strapped down and Wayne was standing over her, holding the knife and coming ever closer. She tried to scream, but it was like her voice had been stolen. She was thrashing her head back and forth, trying to find someone to help her. All she could hear was Wayne saying "Rayna, Rayna". And then he had his arms around her and she finally found her voice and shouted out "No!"

Her eyes were open. Her heart was pounding. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't move her arms and she started to thrash again.

"Rayna!" The voice was in her ear and she turned her head sharply and then burst into tears when she saw Deacon's face. It was Deacon's arms around her and he looked scared. She turned and buried her head in his shoulder, still crying, and he held her tight, shushing her quietly, rubbing a hand up and down her back. "It's okay, baby," he whispered. "You're okay. I'm here."

When she finally stopped crying, she looked up at him. "I can't stop seeing it," she said. "I can't stop feeling scared. I feel so trapped, Deacon." Then she started to cry again.

"Shh, baby," he whispered in her ear. "We'll get you some help. We'll take care of it."

 **Day 80**

The country music world had been abuzz all week, since it had been announced that Rayna Jaymes would be appearing at the Grand Ole Opry. It was her first time on stage since the stalker incident and the subsequent crash. Coincidentally it was the same day that she and Deacon finished the concept album they'd been working on since before all that happened. They had written twenty songs and got it down to the final twelve they were going to use, including the song they'd written while she was in the hospital.

She dressed carefully, in skin tight jeans and a poet's blouse, wearing heels. She'd been practicing in them the whole week so that she wouldn't stumble or fall. She turned when Deacon walked out of the closet, dressed all in black, with black jeans, shirt and vest. She smiled. "You look so handsome, babe," she said.

He walked over and took her in his arms, planting a kiss on her lips. "You look beautiful," he murmured. "You ready for this?"

She smiled and nodded. "I am. A little nervous, but excited." She took a deep breath. "Thank you, babe, for everything. For getting me here."

His eyes got misty for a moment and he lifted his hand and rubbed her cheek with his thumb. "My girl needed me. I'll always be there." Then he took her hand and they walked out to the den, where the girls were waiting for them.

"Mom, you look beautiful," Maddie said, walking over to hug her.

"Thank you, sweetie," Rayna said. She looked over at Daphne. "The two of you look great. Are y'all ready?"

"Yes!" Daphne cried.

The four of them walked to the door. Deacon opened it and Rayna walked through first. "Aren't you going to take your cane, Mom?" Maddie asked.

Rayna looked back at her and shook her head, smiling. "The doctor says I don't need it. So no, I'm not taking it."

* * *

As they waited on the side stage for Bill Anderson to introduce them, Rayna felt all the usual butterflies and jitters she always did before a performance. This one wouldn't be as strenuous or exhausting as a concert, but it felt good to be back at the Opry. Backstage, she'd gotten lots of hugs and welcome backs. It had felt both exhilarating and comforting to be back here at this place, which had so many memories for her.

After that awful night when her panic and fear had reached its zenith, she'd started seeing a therapist who had helped her with getting past the trauma of the assault. She had realized that by concentrating on her physical recovery, she had shortchanged her ability to get past the emotional trauma. It was still a process, but she felt like she was on the right road to healing. Her physical scars were gone, although she would still need more rehab to be ready for something as taxing as a tour, if she decided to go back out on the road. But she and Deacon were talking about something small, not unlike the aborted small venue tour they had considered before the _Red Lips/White Lies_ tour.

But for tonight, she was going to be back in a place where she felt welcomed and embraced and that she loved with all her heart. She and Deacon were going to sing 'My Favorite Hurricane', a song that was close to their hearts, and then they were bringing out the girls to sing 'A Life That's Good', the song that Deacon and the girls had sung for her the night after her surgery, to cheer her up.

She stood next to Deacon and squeezed his hand, smiling up at him. He smiled back. And then Bill Anderson said, "Ladies and gentlemen, I know you've been waiting for this all night. We are so happy to have her back with us and we are so thankful that she has fully recovered and is ready to be back on stage. It is my great honor to welcome back to the Opry stage, the one and only…Rayna Jaymes!"

She and Deacon walked out to a thundering ovation. She felt overcome in that moment, tears in her eyes, as she blew a kiss and waved to the crowd. Deacon squeezed her hand as they approached the microphone and then the butterflies went away.

 **Day 92**

Rayna sat back against the seat in the plane. Deacon brought her a coconut water and then sat down next to her, taking her hand. "I think I'm ready to do a whole lotta nothing," he said, with a smile.

She smiled back at him. "Me too." She breathed in. "This has been a helluva year, hasn't it?"

He nodded. "Yes, it has."

"Thank you being there with me. I could never have gotten through any of this without you."

He leaned in to kiss her and she reached her hand up to cup his cheek as she melted into it. At least until they were interrupted by the flight attendant. "I'm sorry, y'all, but we're ready to take off." She at least blushed, and they laughed as they buckled in.

"How long is the flight?" Deacon asked.

"Just over four hours to Cabo." And then she scurried back to the galley.

Deacon turned to Rayna. "I think we can find something to entertain ourselves for four hours, don't you?"

Rayna chuckled and smiled at him. "Oh, yes, I do."

 **THE END**

 _The song was 'If I Didn't Have You' by Thompson Square._


End file.
